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The British administration is being called upon to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional expenses amounting to almost £24.5m for the two working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly official, noting that the US president held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his summer stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Policing Costs

The former president visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long period in July, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the trips placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for policing the president's trip alone was £21m, which involved peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3 million.

Complex Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the largest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and included regional police, specialist units, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "After your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for costs accrued in relation to the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this stance and provide complete repayment for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Response and Past Precedent

The UK government stated that the trips were private and "not part of official government duties." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in the country as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the UK government reimbursed the expense of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is believed that visit came after a official UK government invitation, in which instance it included protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."